Cody Astbury out six weeks with elbow problem

Trentonian File Photo/ GREGG SLABODA
Cody Astbury will be shut down for six weeks due to an elbow situation. Astbury has pitched for Hamilton West High School, the Mercer County Carpenter Cup team and Broad Street Park Post 313.

HAMILTON — The Mercer County Carpenter Cup team has lost one of its top pitchers and Broad Street Park Post 313 has lost its unquestioned top pitcher for at least six weeks.

Cody Astbury, who pitched Hamilton West to the Central Jersey Group III championship, was told by doctors at Trenton Orthopedic on Friday to shut it down for six weeks due to an elbow situation. Astbury is in the process of scheduling an MRI this week to see the extent of the damage.

The right-hander, who went 6-2-1 with a 1.16 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 60.1 innings for the Hornets, said he felt some soreness in his arm prior to suffering a complete-game loss to Mainland on June 4 in the NJSIAA Group III semifinals.

“The night before is when I started to feel it,” Astbury said on Saturday. “At that point I just thought I had a tired arm and didn’t think much of it. I pitched through it against Mainland (allowing just two unearned runs), took a week off and then pitched against Post 31 (this past Tuesday).”

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Astbury entered the legion game in relief and said “my arm felt great in the sixth inning, but in the seventh it started to bother me again so I decided to go to the doctor’s.”

In between he threw one inning in an All-State game Wednesday but did not throw at full speed. On Friday, he was told that something was sprained in his elbow and that tendons could pop off of his bone. If that happened, he would need Tommy John Surgery.

“They told me not to throw for six weeks, and I’m going to listen to them,” said Astbury, who is headed for Mercer County Community College in the fall. “I don’t want to mess up my arm any more for college.”

Astbury does not think there will be any need for surgery, but the MRI will be taken as a precautionary measure. Unlike some pitchers, who feel something pop on one particular pitch, Astbury said there was never a definitive moment where he felt something was wrong.

“I guess it was just over-throwing in states,” he said. “They were telling me at my age I should be throwing 100 pitches a week and I did 240 in a matter of eight days.”

Astbury noted he was not being forced to throw that much.

“I wanted to throw that,” he said. “I wanted to do everything I could to help our team and give us a chance.”

Mercer head coach Brian Giallella said Saturday he is unsure who will take Astbury’s place on the Carpenter Cup squad.

As far as the legion season goes, Astbury said he will see how he feels when the six weeks are up as to whether he might try and return for the post-season.